Track: High School STEM Competition

Abstract

This presentation will focus on studying the biomechanics related to the ACL Injury through 3D-Motion sensors. A specially designed Countermovement Force Test was conducted before and after a 2-hour exercise window to fatigue the muscles associated with the ACL injury. 7 Sensors were placed on the body to derive the 3D-Motion biomechanics. The fatigue factor associated with ACL Injury risk was particularly addressed through the Contact Force and the Joint Flexion profiles during both the jumping and landing periods. When the body muscles are fatigued, the knee cannot be held as steadily and provide enough knee cushion during the soft toes’ landing period. This period is crucial to protecting the ACL in the hard landing that immediately follows. The Multivariate Correlation was implemented to choose the most important variables that reflected ACL injury risk from the 20 total joint angles collected. Modern Principle Component Analysis (PCA) based Multivariate SPC (Statistical Process Control) chart techniques were utilized to discover the comprehensive 3D-Motion insights which explained the bio-mechanisms associated with ACL injury risk.